Shot patterning recoil compensator for firearms



0 1953 K. D. RICHARDS 2,656,637

SHOT PATTERNING RECOIL COMPENSATOR FOR FIREARMS Filed Feb. 5, 1948INVENTOR. KENNETH D. QmHARos '4 1 f) 4 F165 4 M 51437 Patented Oct. 27,1953 SHOT PATTERNING RECOIL COMPENSATOR FOR FIREARMS Kenneth "D.Richards, Gardner, Mass.

Application-February 5, 1948, Serial No. 6,437

12 Claims. 1

This invention relates to a recoil compensator for firearms particularlyshotguns, having as an integral part thereof a continuously variablecontrol shot pattern. device the latter forming a necessary operativepart of the former, and being effective to deflect and direct expandinggases for greater efficiency of the compensating recoil action. Thepresent invention is an improvement over that disclosed in myco'pendi'ng application s. N. 734,994., filed November 10, 194.7.

The principal object of the present invention resides in the provisionof a device "as above stated, said device being made 'of two parts only,that is, an inner. co'ntractible shell, sleeve, or cylinder, which isdirectly attachable to "the muzzle of the shotgun barrel and which isprovided with gas escape ports adjacent the muzzle oi the shotgunbarrel; in combination with outer shell, sleeve, or cylinder, threadedlyiii-taunted on the inner shell and rotatably and longitudinally movablethereon by means of said threads, the outer shell having an inclinedforward end portion cooperating with a complementary inclined endportion on the contractible shell to continuously vary the degree ofchoke; said outer shell being provided with a series of slots and beingfor the most part spaced from the inner shell so that the gases escapingthrough the ports of the inner shell enter the space between the twoshells and finally escape through the slots, the arrangement of theports and slots being such that the expand- 'ing gases impinge on thelateral edges of the slots and tend to counteract the recoil of thefirearm.

Other objects of the invention include the pro= vision of a device asabove stated in which the forward end of the inner shell has a diametersuch as to contact the interior of the outer shell firmly locating theparts so that theyeamiot shift relative to each other and insuringagains't explosion or deformation of the inner shell by reason of thefact that it is bound tightly by the outer shell regardless of therelative longitudinal ad .iustment of the outer shell on the innershell.

A still further object of the invention resides in the provision or"indicating means for setting the adjustment of the outer shell toprovide shot patterns of forty per cent. to seventy-five per cent. inthe thirty inch circle at forty yards, as opposed to the usualdesignation of open cylinder, modified choke, full choke, etc.,thisbeing an immovement in the art due to the fact thatthe shooter isenabled to have a much finer adjiist ment than has been possibleheretofore and, at the same time, he can have an exact adjustment as,for instance, forty-seven per cent. or any in terpolation between fortyper cent, and sevnty= 2 five per cent. which has never been heretererepossible.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter.

Reference is to b had to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a View in elevation;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section through the device of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a section on line of 2;

Fig. 4 is a-se'ction on line 44 of Fig.2; and

Fig. 5 is a reduced longitudinal section of the inner shell only.

In illustrating the present invention the same is shown as applied tothe muzzle of a sho'tgdn barreI I!) which is especially screw threadedas at l2 for the purpose. -It is to be noted that the present inventionalthough achieving all the suits and advantages of theinventiondescr'ibed in the above identified application, has beensinnplified to a great extent and comprises but two er One of theseparts is referred to as the shell and it is generally indicated at M.This inner shell is in the nature of a sleeveor cylinder and is providedat its forward end with an in clined surface in the form of a hollowcone as at It. This surface diverges rearwardly to the widest eii'tentthereof indicated at it, and then the contour of the shell is reduced tothe main body thereof, which extends rearwardly to a houlder 20 having adiameter the same as the diameter orthe portion at IS: The main body oithe shell is longitudinally slotted as indicated at 22, so that as thesegments formed by the slots 22 are compressed, the effect of chokingaction of the shotgun is varied. I g The enlarged portion 20 iseifteriorly screw threaded at 23 for a urpose to be describedahd thescrew threaded portion terminates in a plane portion 24, whichisint'e'riorly screw threaded as at 25 to mesh with threads l2 abovedescribed.

The enlarged portion 20 is provided with a series or milled slots 26which extend through the Wall of the shell and provide gas escapepassages from the interior of the shell to the exterior thereer. Thesenets are beveled as shown at it so as to insure against passage of shot.

The outer shell is g nerally indicated at a; and is provided withinternal screw threads 31} ing with the threads 23 on the port on 2!] soas to longitudinally adjust'ably secure the two shells together. Shell28 is provided ivithseiiesiif slats 32 and as clearly shown in Fig. '2,expanding gas escapethrough the slots '26 into the space tween theshells and are thereby guided thence out through slots 32, impinging onthe forward edges of the slots so as to counteract the recoil of thefirearm.

The forward end of the shell 28 is provided with an inwardly directedconical surface 3% complementary to surface it on the inner shell and itwill be seen that as the outershell is rotated on the inner shell, itwill be moved lengthwise so as to contract the segments ofthe innershell or allow the same to expand thus continually varying the degree ofchoke imparted to the shot column by the inner shell. The inner shell isalways firmly located and positioned against the interior of the outershell as by the enlarged shoulder or rib construction at 8, so thatthere is no danger of blowing up or exploding the inner shell.

of the expanding gases will have to be released prior to the issue ofthe shot column from the compensator, giving better and more uniformpatterns.

- The rear end of the outer shell 28 is graduated on its entirecircumference for three hundred and sixty degrees into graduations fromforty per .4 former, the gas ports lying atleast partially in the regionof the reduced exterior diameter of the inner shell, said reducedportion forming a chamber between shells, and the slots leading from thechamber to the exterior of the outer shell.

' 2. The compensator of claim 1 including enlarged means at the forwardend of the inner shell contacting the outer shell, the latter backing upthe innershell against the radially outward rushof expanding gases.

3. A device of the class described comprising a pair of spaced generallyconcentric sleeves,

means to secure one sleeve to a firearm barrel,

bility and means on the outer sleeve to contract;

' the same, gas ports through the inner sleeve to the space betweensleeves, and slots in'the outer sleeve located forwardly of the gasports, so that expanding gases pass'laterally out of the device,

reducing recoil.

Fig. 1. The sight 36 may be used as an indicah;

4. The device of claim 3 including means at the forward end of the innerslotted sleeve bearing on the interiorwall of the outer sleeve andclosing the space between sleeves forwardly of the slots in the outersleeve.

5. A combined shot patterning and recoil reducing device for firearms,said device comprising two parts, said parts being in the nature ofspaced concentric sleeves the inner sleeve being attached to the muzzleof a firearm, means to ing mark and whatever degree of shot pattern-'ing the shooter wants is obtained merely by placing the outer shell inthe correct rotational position relative to the sight 36. That is, ifthe shooter wishes to have a long range shot in a close pattern, he willnecessarily turn the outer shell to the highest degree possible, i. e.,seventy-five per cent. to obtain the full shot; but any degreewhatsoever of any choke desired maybe obtained merely by twisting theouter shell. In this connection it is to be noted that a specific chokewill not give the same effect with different loads and different sizesof shot. However, by interpolation the exactly correct degree of chokemay be obtained after some experience. That is, if with one number ofshot the shooter wants a sixty per cent. patterning, and he knows thatwith a different shot he will not get what he wants on sixty per cent.although theoretically he should, all he has to do is to vary the outershell two or three degrees in order to obtain the correct patterning forthe different shot. Therefore, with a little experience any user mayinstantly obtain exactly the correct pattern desired by the use of thepresent invention.

Having thus described my invention and the advantages thereof, I do notwish to be limited to the details herein disclosed otherwise than as setforth in the claims, but what I claim is:

1. Shot patterning compensator for firearms comprising an inner slottedcontractible shell adapted at one end for securement to the muzzle of afirearm barrel and extending forwardly thereof, the slots in the shellbeing substantially longitudinal and located at the other end thereofextending inwardly, said shell being exteriorly threaded adjacent themuzzle and then reduced in exterior diameter forwardly of the threads,gas ports in the inner shell, and an outer shell threaded to the innershell and provided with slots, and interengaging means at the ends ofthe shells opposite the muzzle to contract the inner by the outer uponrotation of the latter on the longitudinally adjust the outer sleeve onthe inner sleeve, the latter being longitudinally slotted forcontraction, means on the outer sleeve to contract the slotted portionof the inner sleeve as the outer sleeve is adjusted on the inner sleeve,the outer sleeve having circumferentially spaced slots therein, and theinner sleeve having gas ports 5 adjacent the firearm muzzle so thatexpanding gases behind the shot pass through the gas ports, into thespace between the shells, and laterally out the outer shell slots.

6. The device of claim 5 including circumferential means on the innershell contacting the outer shell forwardly of the slots in the latter toblock ofi the space between shells and to circumferentially support theinner shell against muzzle blast.

'7. A recoil reducing device comprising two spaced cylinders forming agas chamber therebetween, gas ports in both cylinders, the ports in theinner cylinder being closer to the muzzle of a firearm to which thedevice is to be attached than the ports in the outer cylinder, so thatexpanding gases pass from the inner cylinder, longitudinally along thegas chamber, and then laterally out the ports in the outer cylinder, theinner cylinder being longitudinally slotted at its end remote from theports therein, and cooperating means on both cylinders at said end, tocontract the slotted portion of the inner cylinder upon movement in onedirection of the outer cylinder on the inner cylinder.

8. A recoil reducing device for a firearm comprising two spacedcylinders forming a gas chamber therebetween, gas ports in bothcylinders, the ports in the inner cylinder being closer to the muzzle ofthe firearm to which the device is to be attached than the ports in theoutercylinder, so that expanding gases pass from the inner cylinder,longitudinally along the gas chamber, and then laterally out the portsin the outer cylinder, the latter ports being transverse and presentingflat edges for impingement of the gases to counteract recoil, and meanson the outer cylinder to contact the inner cylinder for variation inchoke, the inner cylinder being longitudinally slotted at its end andsaid means comprising a threaded engagement for longitudinal movement ofthe outer cylinder on the inner cylinder and wedge type terminalportions on both cylinders to cause the inner cylinder to contract uponsuch movement in one direction.

9. A combined shot patterning and recoil reducing device for shot gunscomprising an inner longitudinally slotted sleeve attachable in fixedposition to the muzzle end of a shot gun barrel, said sleeve having areduced portion between its ends at the exterior surface thereof, saidreduced portion terminating in a shoulder or the like at each endthereof, the shoulder at the muzzle end of the device being threaded toadjustingly receive an outer sleeve, an outer sleeve threaded to theinner sleeve and having an interior wall contacting the enlargedshoulder at the forward end of the inner sleeve, cooperating conicalsurfaces on the sleeves to contract the inner sleeve to vary the shotpattern, transverse slots in the outer sleeve, there being a spacebetween sleeves due to the reduced portion in the inner sleeve, thespace between sleeves being blocked olf by the forward shoulder at theforward end of the device, gas ports through the inner sleeve into thespace between sleeves but rearwardly of the slots, said ports beingbeveled.

10. A gun muzzle device comprising a shot passing choke tube having alongitudinally slit constrictable portion, a tubular cage disposed aboutsaid choke tube and having a portion spaced therefrom to form a gaspassage between the tube and. cage, said choke tube containing aperturemeans near the rear of said slit portion through which gases are ventedinto said passage upon firing, gas outlet means in the wall of the cageleading from said passage to the atmosphere, and means carried by saidcage for engaging and variably constricting said slit portion of thechoke tube.

11. A gun muzzle device comprising a shot passing choke tube having alongitudinally slit constrictable portion, a tubular cage disposed aboutsaid choke tube and having a portion spaced therefrom to form a gaspassage between the tube and cage, said choke tube containing aperturemeans near the rear of said slit portion through Which gases are ventedinto said passages upon firing, gas outlet means in the wall of the cageleading from said passage to the atmosphere, means mounting said cagefor adjusting movement relative to said tube, and means carried by saidcage operable to constrict said slit portion of the tube upon saidrelative adjusting movement of the cage.

12. A gun muzzle device comprising a shot passing choke tube having aforward constrictable portion containing longitudinal slits extendingrearwardly from its forward end, a tubular cage disposed about said tubein radially spaced relation thereto to form a gas passage between thecage and tube, said choke tube containing aperture means to the rear ofsaid tube slits through which gases are vented into said passage uponfiring, outlet means in the wall of the cage leading from said passageto the atmosphere, a threaded joint rotatably connecting the rearportion of the cage to the tube rearwardly of said aperture means, andwedge means carried by a forward portion of the cage for rotationtherewith and engaging and constricting the forward slit portion of thetube in accordance with said rotation.

KENNETH D. RICHARDS.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTSl-Eurnber Name Date Re. 20,958 White Dec. 27, 1938 1,598,360 Pavek Aug.31, 1926 1,892,522 White Dec. 27, 1932 2,065,273 Galliot Dec. 22, 19362,101,850 Green Dec. 14, 1937 ,112,831 Cutts Apr. 5, 1938 2,153,246Gibson Apr. 4, 1939 2,165,457 Cutts July 11, 1939 2,398,298 Finlay eta1. Apr. 9, 1946

